Video Transcription

Hello, everyone, and welcome. I'm so happy you decided to participate in the series. The unit you are about to embark on is all about developing a classroom plan for device management. I would like to give you a sneak peek at what you can expect in this unit. Let's get started.

In many my videos, you will sometimes find that I will integrate a story or anecdote. I will often pull from my years in the classroom, experience as a parent, and now as an administrator. I do this to get you thinking about the topic in a real world context, or from a different point of view.

A few years ago, I had a phone that looked like this. OK, it wasn't pink, but you get the point. I was perfectly happy with it. It was reliable and did what I wanted it to do. Make phone calls. Then I got a new job that required me to be on the road a lot and check my emails and texts. Well, I did a quick needs assessment and realized it was time to get something like this. I remember being quite resistant to the change and the cost, but the salesman was right. He said, give it a week, and you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

The videos that make up this unit are each only four to seven minutes long. However, they are full of information that will help you to understand the content.

The objectives of this unit are as follows. To survey the available resources that you may have access to within your teaching environment, to understand and explain acceptable use policies and responsible use policies, to create a set of classroom expectations based on Robert Marzano's framework for teaching, and to reflect on the usefulness and effectiveness of classroom expectations.

Throughout this unit, you'll be directed to many online resources and tools that will help you successfully implement technology in your district, school, and classroom. If you are already there, the resources will help you improve your existing circumstances.

This unit is full of questions that are sure to generate discussion among your colleagues, as they did with mine, and through discussions, problems are solved. For example, in one district I visited, teachers requested document cameras. However, since they already had iPads, a less expensive solution was to purchase stands and use the camera feature with their Apple TVs.

Another example of repurposing came from my own district, who recently transitioned to Chromebooks and Google Docs. Rather than get rid of our older laptops that were running Microsoft Word, they were reconfigured to run chrome. Through examples like these, you will learn about evaluating your needs, selecting a solution, maximizing and sustaining your resources.

You will also hear in this unit many times that it's about the learning, not about the technology. How will devices help you achieve the goals set in your school improvement plan? That's the question that needs to be answered . You will hear the acronyms AUP and RUP. They stand for acceptable use policy and responsible use policy.

In both cases, the goal is to provide students with access to the internet and all the wonderful learning opportunities it has to offer, and to do so safely. However, their approaches are very different. Most notably, that acceptable use has limitations and responsible use does not, but rather outlines expected behavior. In either case, certain regulations must be followed.

We will explore the pros and cons of each, and even look at examples of policies from schools around the country. We'll also look at how these policies could have an effect on your day to day instructional practices. Knowing about these policies will also help classroom teachers to better understand decisions that are made at the school or even district level.

Robert Marzano has done extensive research on the foundations of teaching, and has compiled them in this framework. In this unit, we will spend some time looking at the blended learning classroom through the lens of his first domain, classroom strategies and behavior. He believes that completing the work is non-negotiable, however we can provide our students with a better environment to do so.

We will look at such things like the physical space of a classroom, established expectations and consequences for not adhering to them. It is understood that many of the schools we work in are outdated and were not constructed to meet the needs of the 21st century learner. However, there are steps we can take to address the fundamental needs, and it begins with you, the teacher.

Putting Marzano's theories into practice will help you to do that. And when you have tried, it's time for the final step. Reflection. Reflection is at the heart of everything we do as lifelong learners. We are constantly taking inventory of how we are doing and what we need to get to where we want to be, both personally and professionally with the expectations we set. Students are no different.

In this unit, you will learn the importance of protecting time to reflect with your students as well as yourself. Maybe it's by using formative assessments. Perhaps it's by keeping a journal, or blogging. Maybe it's taking an online course like this one. I am sure that one of the strategies mentioned in this unit will speak to you. Like the world around us, our classrooms are changing fast, and it's our professional obligation to keep pace.

I will end each lesson with a quick summary of what we covered. For example, we went over the unit objectives in this lesson. We talked about resources, use policies, classroom expectations, and the art of reflection.

I'll also leave you with a little something to think about, or do. I call it food for thought, and here's today's. Take inventory of your classroom and your home. Do you consider either environment to be full of technology? Thanks so much for participating, and I look forward to seeing you again.